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Why China is at the center of our climate strategy

Investing in the nation—now—is one of the best ways to trim global emissions

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Rarely a week goes by before China's air pollution crisis is in the news again.

The unprecedented soot and smog levels are triggering a cascade of damaging health and economic effects. They're also contributing to an equally sinister, yet under-reported problem: climate change.

To avoid a looming national public health crisis and an imminent danger to the world's climate, China must act soon.

China's enormous carbon footprint

1/2 of the world's coal supply is burned by China each year.

Over 20%of the world's climate pollution originates in China.

Fortunately, China is beginning to get serious about clean energy investments—and it has the ability to reform policies and bring about change on a scale that other countries can only dream of doing, via its next 5-year plan, which starts in 2016.

Will the government give climate change the attention it needs?

EDF is making every effort to to sustain that focus.

EDF's long history with China

Over the past two decades, EDF Vice President Dan Dudek and his team have helped China establish a variety of market-based incentives to trim emissions, and increase enforcement of environmental laws.

These projects are part of the reason Dudek, an expert on cap-and-trade markets, earned a coveted spot on China's highest international advisory body on the environment, which reports directly to the Premier every year.

Successes we've helped with

21%emissions drop that Shenzhen's carbon market will likely lead to by 2015.*

28,000environmental officers that will complete training by the end of 2015.

By welcoming the expertise of EDF, China is proving that it's ready to tackle climate change.

Your support keeps our staff of experts on the ground in China, working closely with environmental leaders and policy makers to implement smart market incentives to fight air pollution and climate change.